EUSI KWAYANA – Brief Bio: by Michael Parris
Kwayana was born in April 4, 1925 at Lusignan, Guyana and his family moved to Buxton when he was quite young. He became one of Guyana’s most popular, and controversial, political activists, making his entry into the field at the village level during the 1940′s. He joined George Younge, Martin Stephenson, John Abrams, Sam Persaud, Sultan Khan and Jules Perreira in the Ratepayers’ Association in marshaling the fight against Bookers Estates Limited over a canal at back of the village, called “the right of away”, through which the estates transported cane.
The status of Buxton/Friendship as one of Guyana’s premier villages was enhanced by this conflict as it fed into the wider struggle which estate labourers were embroiled with Bookers.
Around 1947, then Sydney King, he became a member of a small group of politicians, led by Dr.Cheddie Jagan. who formed The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which remains one of the largest two political parties in Guyana. Dr. Jagan had won the Central Demerara seat of which Buxton/Friendship was part. In 1953, the PPP won a landslide victory in Guyana’s first election under universal adult suffrage, and Kwayana left his job as a school teacher to assume the position of Minister of Communication and Works.
Unfortunately, the British government suspended the constitution and threw the PPP out of office, after 133 days, in October, 1953. Thereafter Kwayana featured in several and varied roles among which: as a political detainee for fear that he and others would cause civil unrest; holding vigil outside the governor’s residence protesting against his biased action against some of the citizens; executive membership of both major political parties, the PPP and the People’s National Congress (PNC); composer of the anthems of both parties. During all of this, Kwayana, a most dedicated teacher, found time to provide lessons for hundreds of students, most of them indigent.
Perhaps one of the most outstanding aspects of his political activism was his proposal that, because of the widening racial divide among Guyanese, thought should be given to the adoption of a constitution not dissimilar to that of Cyprus. Both leaders of the main political parties, Jagan and Burnham, perceiving this as being inimical to his chances of winning the elections, vigorously opposed the proposal and instead emphasised what Kwayana warned could be the outcome of the growing ethnic conflict i.e. the possibility of partition. As a consequence, many persons who have never read what Kwayana wrote or said on the issue, repeat this distorted report.
Kwayana co-founded The African Society for Racial Equality (ASRE), and later, The African Society for Cultural Relations with Independent Africa (ASCRIA) which became part of The Working People’s Alliance in 1974. Here, he worked closely with the late Walter Rodney and was a member of WPA’s collective leadership. As a WPA member, he played a pivotal role in the struggle for democratic restoration and free and fair elections.
Kwayana has authored several books, booklets, monographs and articles. His best known works are Next Witness, Scars of Bondage, Guyana: No Guilty Race, Buxton in Print and Memory,Morning After, and Genesis of a Nation: The Indo-Guyanese Contribution to Social Change (in Guyana). He also wrote the lyrics of the party songs of the PPP, PNC and WPA.
Kwayana’s retired from parliament in 2002 and migrated in June of that year San Diego, California. He last visited Toronto in 2001 to attend the funeral of his niece’s husband.
This visit then presents a unique opportunity for Guyanese and all others in the Diaspora. COTAB, the Caribbean Studies Program of the University of Toronto, and the Canada – Guyana Forum urge you to attend.
Please call COTAB at 416-431-0273 or, 416-820-9200, or, the Caribbean Studies Program of U of T & the Canada-Guyana Forum at 416-978-8286 or 416-439-8617 for event details.Michael ParrisExecutive Committee Member, COTAB

Aug 22, 2012

Studying for your classes doesn't have to turn you into a lone wolf. As the old sayings go, there's strength in numbers, two heads are better than one, and many hands make light work. But enough of cliché, here's how you make the right study group come together:

Choose your partner(s) wisely. Look out for others who take notes and pay attention during class, rather than those who would provide a distraction from your work. To get the most motivated students interested, you might want to share that you're creating a study group on the class' blackboard, its chat room, or a social networking site.

Set an agenda. Will you meet weekly? Before important exams? What do you want to accomplish? Some study groups convene to simply exchange ideas brought up in reading, while others might be used to brainstorm essay ideas and proofread papers. It's up to you, just make sure the group agrees on your purpose so you can all work toward it together.

Stay on track before and during your session. Do the required reading ahead of the meeting, and spend the group's time wisely by sticking to course-related talk when you're together. The point of a study group is not to lessen your workload, rather to make you better retain what you've learned. Don't trust that someone else in the group is going to do the reading for you and give you all the answers.

Lastly, at the end of each meeting, spend a few minutes brainstorming likely test questions. Rely on the strengths of your peers to bring up points you'd never have thought of on your own. Encountering different perspectives is a major upside of studying in a group, so take full advantage of it.

Study Tip: How to avoid procrastination
Did you know that there is a fine science devoted to explaining the causes for procrastination? Yes, that’s right, if you’re a procrastinator you’re not alone—you’re just a human being. So earthlings, to help you out in your studies here are a couple of tips on how to overcome the urge to put off today what you could do tomorrow. Just don’t put these ones off, okay?1. Create immediate deadlines for yourself. If you have a far-off deadline, due to a process of logical thinking called “present bias,” you’re less likely to commit any hard work to it in the near future. Counteract this by setting small deadlines for yourself along the way: daily, weekly, monthly, depending on how far off your due date is. Checking little components off of a long list is satisfying as well!2. Reward yourself along the way. In the same vein, a prize awarded to you at some future date (like a good grade on a project) is seemingly worth less because it can be replaced by a reward in the present (like watching TV). So why not incorporate these little rewards into your routine? Try studying or working for a certain number of hours, and rewarding yourself with, say, 15 minutes of internet time. You’ll also break up a long slog of studying into more manageable sessions.
For more tips on this, like the “Pomodoro Technique,” plus a helpful video, check out our blog post on the topic.

It is with sadness that we hear of the passing of a most distinguished alumnus, Vivian Lee.

Born in Georgetown, he became a Civil Servant shortly after attending Saints, but by the outbreak of the war he was in Trinidad where he enrolled in the military as a part-time auxiliary. On his return to Guyana he opened the first independent Advertising Agency in in the country. He was soon bound for the US, where he learnt everything about broadcasting, script-writing, commercial, interviewing, etc. On his return, his name quickly became a household word due to his wide range of Variety programming.

"The Clock on the Wall says Eight: it's time for the XM Hit Parade" was just about the most anticipated words on a Friday night for teenagers of the day.

He remained active and creative throughout his life. In 2005, he self-published the book, "Super Seniors - Beyond 65 and fully Alive", an anthology of 28 real-life stories of Canadian Seniors living exemplary lives (written by 14 authors, mostly members of the Professional Writers Association of Canada). Viv himself wrote seven of the stories that exemplify "living over 65 and being fully alive". When he arrived in Canada in 1985, at the age of 66, he founded the Guyanese Canadian Association of British Columbia, a society which raises funds, through social events, for Guyanese Charities. He went on to produce Flying High, an award-winning board game, and also to earn a B.A in English from the University of British Columbia. In 2001, he obtained the Wordsworth McAndrew Award for Outstanding Contribution to Guyana's Culture and Heritage.

Our deepest condolences to his wife, seven children, eleven grand-children and five great-grands.

Teachers, Edmodo provides a safe and easy way for your class to connect and collaborate, share content, and access homework, grades and school notices. There is also an IPhone app. Already widely in use in the Caribbean as part of CSEC preparation.

Aug 13, 2012

The one-drop rule is just about the craziest thing which has come out of the U.S. It seems to work in all directions. That we are all "homo sapiens" descended from our common ancestors in East Africa can never be stated too often because most have not come to terms with this scientific fact. Cultural stereotypes also seem to be accepted by all. Let's look at the confusion which arises in many cases.

Made perfect thus in little space,God called thee to his long embrace,Before the mists of earth could throw,a shadow on thy robe snow.Guide from thy throne.....

Fr. Clement Barraud.

Significant Dates in the History of St.Stanislaus College

* May 1st,1866- Catholic Grammar School started* November 3rd 1866- School moved to Main Street premises* 1868or 69- School moved to Waterloo Street* 1871- School returned to Cathedral Presbytery* 1871- Boarders introduced* 1878- School temporarily closed* 1880- School re-opened* 1897- School moved to site of St. Mary's School, Brickdam* 1907- School moved to present Brickdam site* 1907- Name changed from'Catholic Grammar School' to " Saint Stanislaus College"* 1928- Weld Wing opened* 1942- College Association formed* 1952- Scannell Wing opened* 1966- College celebrates 100th Anniversary* 1972- Hopkinson Wing opened* 1974- Workshop built* 1975- College Farm opened* 1975- Collge becomes co-educational* 1976- College becomes a Govenment School* 1980- College ceases to be run by the Jesuits* 1991- College celebrates 125th anniversary* October 2004 - Board of Govern0rs appointed